Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Due to the fact that the Transition ward of St. Joseph's Hospital is currently under lockdown (no visitation allowed), we only recently were made aware of Gerry's passing.
Gerry had been the hospital room mate of our mother, Dorothy Humphrey, since July of this year. Consequently, we got to know her well, during our numerous visits to see mum.
What a TERRIFIC lady! We all noticed how Gerry would dote over mum, helping her get in and out of bed, accompanying her to the lunchroom, playing cards with her, etc. Also, on more than one occasion, she alerted the ward staff of mobility problems that our mum was experiencing.
Our mum is 98 yrs old. She is the last surviving member of her family, and has outlived her husband and most of her friends. She mentioned many times how much she liked Gerry, and how blessed she was to have such a great room mate. We think that mum considered Gerry her "new" friend.
On a humorous note, a month or so ago, some staff members told mum that they were considering moving her to another room, so that she would be closer to the nursing station. Gerry happened to overhear this conversation. Mum began to cry. Gerry began to cry. They both said (almost in unison) "We don't want to be separated!"
That ended to discussion of relocation immediately. It was never brought up again!
Since we haven't been able to visit our mum in person, we can only imagine how hard she has taken Gerry's passing. But we are sure she knows how fortunate she is, to have known this lady, albeit for such a short length of time.
To Gerry's family, we not only offer our condolences, but also our thanks.
Sandra, Stephen, and John Humphrey
